Kenya-Adoption-Ban

Kenya bans child adoption by foreigners

September 12, 2019
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09:48

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APA-Nairobi(Kenya)

Kenya’s cabinet on Thursday announced an immediate ban on adoption of children by foreign nationals.

A special cabinet meeting held in Nairobi, chaired by President Uhuru Kenyatta also directed the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection to formulate a new policy document to regulate the adoption of children by foreign nationals in Kenya.

The meeting also directed the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection to streamline operations of the Child Welfare Society of Kenya and those of children homes in the country.

Although the cabinet did not give reason for the ban, there has been concerns about increased cases of child trafficking through abuse of Kenya’s adoption processes by foreigners.

Kenyan laws do not define child sale, child procuring, child trade and child laundering as part of child trafficking.

Past studies have established that inter-country adoption is big business, done at the expense of children.

Foreign adoptions attract as much as $7,000 per child as legal fees for lawyers, in addition to charges paid by applicants in accordance with guidelines issued by the Adoption Committee.